Remco Bron

The elevator pitch is in a world of its own. It takes a combination of sales talent, dedication, and true belief in your idea. I watched this video on which entrepreneurs give their elevator pitch to an investment company at The Next Web conference. Most of them are horrifying to watch. So what constitutes a successful elevator pitch?

First, you have to believe in your idea 200%. If you don’t have this, don’t think you will sell anyone else on your idea. Second, you have to have considered all the things that are wrong with your idea. To do this talk to independent sources because you might be blinded by the love for your idea and not see the problems with it. Yes, this means sharing your idea. For many this is scary because they usually keep their cards very close to their chest. But at some point you will have to involve others. You can’t assume to know it all or can do it all yourself. These steps will craft your idea so it’s bulletproof. Only at that point you are ready to start developing your elevator pitch.

Now you always have to assume the worst, so make your pitch short-and-sweet enough to fit in 30-seconds. Remember: all you want to do is spark interest; the details can be worked out in a later phase. So what do you want to bring across? Try sticking to the following information:

1. Describe your service, product (remember short and to the point).
2. Describe the problem you solve or demand you meet.
3. Explain how you are different.
4. Explain why the listener should care.

1 and 2 should be very short and sweet – remember you have 15 seconds for this – and should grab the attention of the listener. Assuming you now have the attention, 3 should be the icing on the cake – this is the part where you sell your idea to the listener. Part 4 is where you explain how your listener will benefit from it – how is he (not you!) going to make money.

First write it on paper with total disregard of the time constraint. Once you have it all on paper start selecting and crafting it to a pitch so sharp you can convince anyone to sell their mother for it. Then try it out, not straight away with an investor, but with friends and family. See how they react. If you can’t convince them go back to the drawing board.

A few more tips to help you along:

• Keep it simple. Refrain from using tech or management talk. Your audience isn’t interested in how great your vocabulary is.
• Use tangibles. The more tangible you can make you pitch, the better it will be.
• Look your listener in the eye. Check how many of these people look away (outside, to the camera, to the door). A beginner’s mistake. You need to make a connection, so be aware where your eyes are.
• Stop when a question is asked. A question is a sign you have engaged your listener. When a question is asked, shut-up and listen. When questions are asked usually the listener is already convinced and wants confirmation he understands. And make sure you really listen. I say this because you are pumped to give information, but now you need to switch your senses in receiving and processing. If you have trouble with this (like I do) don’t trust yourself to naturally do this; be fully aware of it.

Do you want to improve your elevator pitch? There are many resources online, but nothing beats human interaction. Using friends and family is not always the answer, professional help can usually get you to where you want to be faster. They are also the best choice if you don’t want to share your idea because they can sign a disclosure contract.

If you are in Europe take a look at the Orbis Marketing Company. It’s a small company with specialized marketing and sales consultants who have the knowledge and experience to make your elevator pitch a slamming success!